🚀 go-pugleaf

RetroBBS NetNews Server

Inspired by RockSolid Light RIP Retro Guy

Article View: comp.lang.misc
Article #3099

Re: blip [Re: Dynamic typing -- To Have and Have Not

#3099
From: Jim Showalter
Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1991 21:40
37 lines
2021 bytes
>The maximum reusability occurs in a system where every piece of
>functionality (you may call this "algorithm") is specified EXACTLY
>ONCE (i.e. there is no redundancy).  This requires that every piece of
>code depends ONLY on the abstract interface of its arguments: for
>example, a sort routine would work on every collection whose elements
>understand < and =.

Agreed.

>Current type systems are too restricted to allow this, and so you end
>up duplicating functionality in many cases.

Disagreed. In Ada, for example, you can dynamically instantiate a
sort generic with the type and comparison desired, giving you a type
model that supports what you want to be able to do.

>However, in
>dynamically-typed languages such as Self you *can* write e.g. a sort
>routine which works for *every* kind of object which understands the
>comparison protocol.

And you can do this in Ada, too.

>Thus, if you design your system correctly, ideal reusability can be
>achieved *today* in an untyped language but not in any typed language I
>know of.

Ada.

>It can be achieved partially in languages with genericity.

Why only partially?
--
***** DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed herein are my own. Duh. Like you'd
ever be able to find a company (or, for that matter, very many people) with
opinions like mine. 
              -- "When I want your opinion, I'll read it in your entrails."
Technical Details
Message-ID: <jls.669591628@rutabaga>
Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!ames!vsi1!ubvax!igor!rutabaga!jls
References: <22032@yunexus.YorkU.CA> <11820:Mar1923:59:3591@kramden.acf.nyu.edu> <19MAR91.22493670@uc780.umd.edu> <18271:Mar2013:19:1091@kramden.acf.nyu.edu> <1991Mar20.214231.3411@neon.Stanford.EDU>

Show Full Headers
Complete Article Headers
Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!ames!vsi1!ubvax!igor!rutabaga!jls
From: jls@rutabaga.Rational.COM (Jim Showalter)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.misc,comp.object
Subject: Re: blip [Re: Dynamic typing -- To Have and Have Not
Message-ID: <jls.669591628@rutabaga>
Date: 21 Mar 91 21:40:28 GMT
References: <22032@yunexus.YorkU.CA> <11820:Mar1923:59:3591@kramden.acf.nyu.edu> <19MAR91.22493670@uc780.umd.edu> <18271:Mar2013:19:1091@kramden.acf.nyu.edu> <1991Mar20.214231.3411@neon.Stanford.EDU>
Sender: news@Rational.COM
Followup-To: comp.lang.misc
Lines: 37